Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
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name
An archipelago and country in Southern Europe, in the Mediterranean Sea. Official name: Republic of Malta. Capital: Valletta.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: Maltese Archipelago
Antonyms: none provided
name
The largest island in the Maltese Archipelago.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: Malta Island, Melita, Melite
Antonyms: none provided
name
A small city, the county seat of Phillips County, Montana, United States.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A non-alcoholic carbonated malt beverage, popular in Latin America.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
a strategically located island to the south of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: island
noun
a republic on the island of Malta in the Mediterranean; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1964
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: Republic of Malta
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: country, state, land
History
Etymology tree Ancient Greek Μελίτη (Melítē)bor. Latin Melitabor. Arabic مَالْطَا (mālṭā) Maltese Maltabor. Italian Maltabor. English Malta Borrowed from Italian and Maltese Malta, from Arabic مَالِطَا (māliṭā), from Latin Melita, from Ancient Greek Μελίτη (Melítē), apparently from μέλι (méli, “honey”) + -η (-ē, “-a: forming feminine place names”) although its use for the island of Malta is considered uncertain. Some scholars consider it to represent the importance of the islands' indigenous bees and their output. Others consider it a transcription of Phoenician 𐤌𐤋𐤈 (mlṭ, “Grand Harbor, Cospicua”), from 𐤌𐤋𐤈 (mlṭ, “refuge, port”), reapplied first to the island and then, after the Punic Wars, to its Roman seat of government at Mdina. Note however that Latin Malta is already attested in some medieval manuscripts of the Antonine Itinerary. See Wikipedia's articles on Melite and Malta. Doublet of Meleda and Mljet.
From Spanish malta, in turn from German Malzbier.
Across languages
200 source translations are retained for this English entry.
